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The Sea Wolves

This article is about the 1980 film. For other uses, see Seawolf (disambiguation).

The Sea Wolves is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film, which is based on the 1978 book Boarding Party by James Leasor, is the true story of Operation Creek during the Second World War. In the covert mission, the Calcutta Light Horse, part of the Cavalry Reserve in the British Indian Army, successfully sank a German merchant ship in Mormugão Harbour in neutral Portugal's territory of Goa, India on 9 March 1943. The ship had a secret radio which was transmitting information about Allied shipping to U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean.

The Sea Wolves
Original film poster by Arnaldo Putzu
Directed byAndrew V. McLaglen
Screenplay byReginald Rose
Based onBoarding Party
1978 book by James Leasor
Produced byEuan Lloyd
StarringGregory Peck
Roger Moore
David Niven
Trevor Howard
Barbara Kellerman
Patrick Macnee
CinematographyTony Imi
Music byRoy Budd
Production
companies
Lorimar Productions
Richmond Light Horse Productions
Varius Entertainment Trading A.G.
Distributed byRank Film Distributors
Paramount Pictures
Elite Films (Switzerland)[1]
Release dates
  • 3 July 1980 (1980-07-03) (London)
  • 22 August 1980 (1980-08-22) (Switzerland[1])
Running time
120 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
Switzerland
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[1]
Box office$220,181 (USA)[2]

The film, which starred veteran American and British actors, was produced by Euan Lloyd and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen: both had previously worked together on the successful 1978 British-Swiss war film The Wild Geese.

Plot

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During World War II, U-boats are sinking thousands of tons of British merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean. British intelligence, based in India, believes that information is being passed to the U-boats by a radio transmitter hidden on board one of three German merchant ships interned in Goa, then a colony of Portugal. Since Portugal is neutral, the ships cannot be attacked by conventional forces.

The head of the Indian section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) authorises attempts to kidnap and interrogate two known German agents, but these operations both fail. An approach is then made to a Territorial unit of British expatriates, the Calcutta Light Horse, to carry out the mission on its behalf. They all volunteer – all are trained in military skills and keen to 'do their bit'.

Whilst the volunteers are trained, Stewart and Cartwright travel covertly to Goa. By a mixture of blackmail and bribery, they arrange diversions on the night of the raid. A party is to be held in the Governor's palace, a brothel will offer free entry to sailors from ships in the port and a Carnival with fireworks will be held. Stewart has a brief affair with Mrs. Cromwell, a mysterious and socially well-connected woman, who turns out to be a German agent and the main conduit to the German 'Master Spy', known to the Germans and the British by the code-name Trompeta (Trumpet). She is eventually killed by Stewart after she attempts to kill him, but not before she has killed Jack Cartwright.

The raiding party sail around the coast in a decrepit and barely seaworthy barge; they set limpet mines on the hull of the German ships in Goa. They then board one which is being used to transmit signals to U-boats, catching the depleted crew off-guard. Despite Pugh's order that there be no shooting, several German sailors are killed. The ship is set alight and the party withdraws, watching as the ship sinks. The final scene shows a surfacing German U-boat which is expecting to hear a signal from the now sunken ship.

Differences from actual raid

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While certain elements are faithful to the real-life raid, in reality the ships were not blown up by limpet mines but scuttled by their own crew. It is widely believed the intention was the capture of the ships rather than their destruction. Only four German crew died with the rest swimming ashore.

The German spy known as Trumpet was in reality not a single person but a couple. Captured by Pugh and Stewart, they were interrogated by British Intelligence but all trace of them was removed from the records and their fate is unknown.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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The film was originally known as Boarding Party.[3] According to the documentary The Last of the Gentleman Producers, producer Euan Lloyd says that he originally planned to reunite Moore with Wild Geese co-stars Richard Burton and Richard Harris as Pugh and Grice.[4]

Fifty percent of the budget was provided by Lorimar. They fell out with United Artists, their distributor, before the film was delivered. Lorimar subsequently formed a new relationship with Paramount but producer Euan Lloyd thought that studio regarded the film as "the poor cousin" and as a result it "wasn't sold properly".[5]

Casting

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The film reunited much of the cast and crew from 1978's The Wild Geese, including actors Roger Moore, Kenneth Griffith, Jack Watson, Percy Herbert, Patrick Allen, Brook Williams, Patrick Holt and Terence Longdon, writer Reginald Rose, producer Euan Lloyd, director Andrew V. McLaglen, designer Syd Cain, and composer Roy Budd.

Filming

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Filming took place on location in Goa, India.[6]

Soundtrack

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The title music for The Sea Wolves was adapted by Roy Budd from the famous Warsaw Concerto of composer Richard Addinsell.[7] Budd had, at the time, already composed or arranged numerous other film scores, notably those of The Wild Geese and Get Carter. For The Sea Wolves, Budd added lyrics by Leslie Bricusse to his, Budd's, arrangement of the Warsaw Concerto music, the resulting song being entitled The Precious Moments,[8][9] sung by the British baritone Matt Monro, who had also sung title tracks for many other films.[citation needed]

Incidental music is from the Warsaw Concerto.[citation needed]

Release

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The film had its world premiere on 3 July 1980 at the Leicester Square Theatre in London before opening to the public the following day there and at the Odeon Marble Arch.[10]

Reception

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Film critic Robert Roten gave the film a "C+," and described it as "a workmanlike film told in a non-flashy, straightforward way, featuring an all-star cast."[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kindred, Jack (27 August 1980). "Euan Lloyd Preems 'Sea Wolves'; After Europe, Then U.S." Variety. p. 42. Retrieved 27 August 2023 – via Archive.org.
  2. ^ "Sea Wolves (1981)". Box Office Mojo.
  3. ^ "Scripting Joan Crawford as Mom". Los Angeles Times. 17 August 1978. p. j16.
  4. ^ "Hustling with the Best". The Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. 22 May 1979. p. 10.
  5. ^ Mills, N. (9 May 1982). "MOVIES". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 153125767.
  6. ^ "The day the Weekly was invited to go on location". The Australian Women's Weekly. 14 May 1980. p. 26. Retrieved 10 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "The Sea Wolves (Original Soundtrack Recording) – Roy Budd | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  8. ^ "PRECIOUS MOMENTS, THE – Lyrics – International Lyrics Playground". lyricsplayground.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  9. ^ McLaglen, Andrew V. (5 June 1981), The Sea Wolves, retrieved 16 January 2016
  10. ^ "Entertainment Guide". Evening Standard. 3 July 1980. p. 20.
  11. ^ Robert Roten. "The Sea Wolves: The Last Charge of the Calcutta Light Horse". Laramie Movie Scope. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
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